I try to keep life simple: love like you mean it, laugh like you are enjoying it, and stand up for what you believe in. My hope is that here you'll find laughter, passion, and a few random topics that you just might be glad you stumbled on.

I think I've hit a low point. Winter is starting to get to me and even when the sun in shining I can't shake the feeling that spring is a long way off. I can tell myself that I'll be planting within a couple of months, but it doesn't help. I need to see the blooms, smell the dirt. Not happening.

My short term solution is, of course, waiting for me at the local florist. A bouquet or a potted indoor plant could certainly help. On a side note, I have managed to keep alive one of the three orchids that my husband gave me for our anniversary back in August. It looks like one of the buds should open any day. This may be one of the most victorious moments of my entire life

Since outdoor planting will have to wait I decided to make an effort to research what I can start doing in preparation for gardening season. From planning my garden spaces to pre-purchasing seeds and selecting necessary supplies, there really are a few great things to keep my spirits high during the winter…

Say the words "treasure hunt" and my kids are locked in. They are at the perfect age (five and eight) for geocaching. If you had asked me a year ago if I was going to take my kids geocaching this weekend I would have looked at you like you were making up a word. I honestly hadn't heard of it. But thanks to the world of Twitter, I stumbled on this fun activity for all ages. Equipment needed: a GPS and a spirit of adventure.

If you are like I was and you're learning a new word today, congratulations! Here's the scoop: Geocaching is an international treasure hunt that uses coordinates (latitude and longitude) to hide and find "caches." A cache can range in size from micro (think the size of your pinkie finger nail) to large (bigger than a shoe box) and anything in between. A cache consists of a log to be signed and dated when you find it (the smallest caches are logs only) and some kind of item for trade. The idea is "take something, leave something.&…

Fresh starts. I love them! There is a natural rhythm of the year that makes fresh starts very natural. A new calendar year, a new school year, the start of summer, or any change of season.

January is a perfect time for trying something new or starting a new routine - and that is exactly what we are trying at our house. I haven't set any personal goals, but I'm very excited about a new "allowance" and "media time" incentive for my kids. If you have grade school kids, you may already have a similar strategy and I'd love to hear about it! Here's a quick summary of what we are trying:

Each child receives $3 in quarters on Sunday. (I'll admit this may be the hardest part of my plan - having quarters on hand.)Every day Monday through Saturday they are allowed to have 1 hour of "media time." At our home, this would include hand-held games, television watching, or computer time.One half hour costs them $.25. (You can do the math: One hour each …